Repairing a Leaking Aquarium

[DPirateRoberts]

I'm depressed beyond belief.

My 55 gallon glass tank sprung a leak today flooding our apartment.

I vacated the residents to a smaller 20 gallon tank and completely emptied my 55 gal. I recently resealed it and thought everything was okay. One month later... Leakland USA. Bleh.

Any tips for a newbie tank repairer as he goes for attempt #2 at resealing his tank?

The leak was caused by an area where the sealant was too thin. My first step is to make the bead thicker...

My fish are fine but are laughing at how small their new home is.

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about the leak. I have never personally resealed a tank but have done a lot of research just in case. From what I have read you should remove the entire seem of the silicone where the leak is with a razor. If you had one leak it may be wise to redo the entire tank. Clean the seem with rubbing alcohol or a wet rag very well. Apply an even layer to fit the glass. Then a good second layer on for strength. This second layer can help prevent structural leaks from the first layer and is a good idea IMO. Make sure you use silicon that is aquarium safe/non toxic, and I would let it cure at least 48 hours. This is very general and maybe someone else will tell their personal experiences. There are a lot of great articles on the internet about how to prepare aquarium leaks. Let us know how it goes and good luck

 

[Speakerman]

just remember it doesn't take a lot, just a little in the right place. Be sure not to use the stuff from Lowes. Go to a petstore and all glass aquarium glue. The other stuff has mold inhibitor that kills your fish.

 

[Guest]

You can use a nice even solid layer. I personally would overdue the second layer a little than underdo. IMO

 

[Johnny Cakes]

just remember it doesn't take a lot, just a little in the right place. Be sure not to use the stuff from Lowes. Go to a petstore and all glass aquarium glue. The other stuff has mold inhibitor that kills your fish.

You can take a look at Lowes, our Lowes carries aquarium sealant. It says aquariums sealant specifically and can be found in the same section as the Super Glue.

 

[joannde]

I thought that GE Silicone I (for windows and doors) was safe to use on aquariums ?

 

[DPirateRoberts]

I thought that GE Silicone I (for windows and doors) was safe to use on aquariums ?

I thought the same. That's what I used. (Not saying that it was the silicone's fault for the leak. It was mine, no doubt.) Silicone II is not safe for aquariums I know that for certain.

 

[joannde]

I thought that GE Silicone I (for windows and doors) was safe to use on aquariums ?

I thought the same. That's what I used. (Not saying that it was the silicone's fault for the leak. It was mine, no doubt.) Silicone II is not safe for aquariums I know that for certain.

Yep - that's what I thought also. I do hope the Silicone I is safe - I bought a tube to reseal the 2 20 gallon tanks.

 

[src]

What's wrong with the Silicone II? I obviously misread something, because I thought that the II was safe, as long as you didn't get the anti-fungals. This could be a HUGE problem for me at this stage in the game (i.e. tank teardown). Thanks!

 

[Johnny Cakes]

GE II says do not use on aquariums in its warning label. Small but its there.

 

[joannde]

Oh geez src .... I found the following of GE's website. It says that Silicone II is "mold and mildew resistant" (see page 5 of the attached) and that's probably where the problem is.

http://kbam.geampod.com/KBAM/Reflection/Assets/9999.pdf

Here's a phone number if you want to call them and see if there are additives:
1 866 ASK GESA
( got that off my tube of Silicone i)

Call them and see what they have to say - GOOD LUCK !

 

[src]

I made sure to get the stuff that doesn't have the mold/mildew additive, but it may have something that isn't trademarked, so isn't listed as a feature. With my luck, I'm probably screwed on this one. First the soap in the ammonia, now this. I'm so glad that I'm at work now, because a hammer is starting to sound like the right solution to ALL my problems.

 

[joannde]

Call the company and see what they have to say. If it didn't say "mold and mildew resistant" on the tube it may be ok - it would be right on the front (see the pics in the pdf I linked to).

I KNOW how frustrating all this is - believe me !!! My husband keeps commenting on how much work I have to do for this tank. There are many times I've wanted to just tear it down and decorate it with silk houseplants !

But I honestly think if we hang in there we'll be happy in the end. - I HOPE

 

[src]

I called home, and the label does say that it's not safe for aquariums. I feel an aneurisum coming on.

So now I get to drain the aquarium YET AGAIN, pull all the plants, rocks and substrate out, tear apart my acrylic wall, and start over from scratch. Life just keeps getting better and better.

 

[joannde]

Oh I'm so sorry

I know you're probably not in the mood for this, BUT ..... each time you redo the tank I"m sure it incorporates more and more of your ideas into it, which means it will be even better in the end than you've imagined. Hang in there - your tank is going to be beautiful.

 

[BillD]

A couple of points. GE Silicone I is safe to use, even if it doesn't say so on the label. However, It needs to be the one that is for windows and doors. Do not use one that says "kitchen and bath" or "tub and tile". Those ones, regardless of brand, have mold and mildew inhibiters.
I would recommends against using two layers of it. New silicone doesn't stick very well to old silicone. This is why it is often unsuccessful when patching a leak. As someone mentioned earlier, a complete reseal is the way to go. It is imperative to get all the old silicone off. it can be scraped using a single edge razor blade. Pay special attention in the corners, as it is difficult to remove there. When you are absolutley certain, that you have gotten it all, take a new razor blade and go over it again. When this is done a good cleaning with alcohol, or acetone to remove an hand oils or other contaminants.
Before applying the silicone, do a dry run, with the tube unopened. Having a helper to help roll the tank is a good idea. It is easier to run beads flat on the horizontal. Bead size is a difficult thing to describe, and perhaps a trial is the best way to determine the right size opening and application speed . When applying you want the silicone to go right into the joint, without trapping air underneath. Sometimes it is easier to push the tube rather than pulling it. You want to get all the beads on quickly, so that you can smotth the seams before it sets up. I use a finger or thumb depending on the size of the bead. A paper towel or cloth comes in handy for wiping the excess off your finger. I try to make the new bead slightly wider than the old one to ensure contact with virgin glass. If your worried about sloppy looking seams, you can mask the edges with tape. The tape must be removed as soon as the silicone is smoothed, and before it sets up.
While I'm no expert, I have sealed about 6 or 8 tanks and built 5. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but if you plan your job, and do the dry run, it makes it much easier. Even the first one will be a success. Wost case scenario, you have to remove the silicone and start over.

 

[src]

Thanks for the tips, BillD, but fortunately I'm not sealing a tank. I made an acrylic "retaining wall" to keep my substrates (EC and PFS) seperate. I took the not-so-wise step of liberally applying the silicone to the all the joints of this construct - and I thought I was being clever at the time. So now I get to undo everything, just because I wanted a pretty tank.

 

[BillD]

The acrylic should pull free fairly easily, as silicone will not really stick to it the way it does with glass.

 

[DPirateRoberts]

Thanks for the support, everyone.

After reading more about Silcone I, I realized that I used Kitchen and Bath for my tank. And instead of scraping it all off and starting completely over, I decided to just get a new tank. So, I went to a PetCo near me and purchased a 55 gallon tank for $99. (I scored, btw, the tank was incorrectly marked as $99, it was supposed to be $109. But the manager said that she would honor the wrong tag. Wahoo! )
So, it's back to the CyclingLand for me...

 

[kickeralpine]

well this is my first post here rkilling1 is my brother and got me on this site. i have a 135 gallon tank that over 30 years old and got a leak. due to it beening old tank it had 1/2 inch glass blocks as supports and they fell off. so i ordered new top frame frame from all glass and fit right in place. cleaned out all the old silicon and then installed new silicon one tip i can say dont over due the silicon on first run man i made a big mess. i cut the tip to large and was coming out to heavy and now im waiting for it to dry so i can start over looks bad and i masked the corners off. but if you use to much when ya pull the tape it just comes with it so i messed up. oh well its my first time and ill just start over . well this site is great and all kinds of good info here and did help me on what to buy and i used ge1 silicon and it really sticks to the glass should be fun to get off lol .